Courtesy: FIFA.com

Futsal giants take stock

(FIFA.com) 24 Feb 2006

Little over a year has passed since Javier Lozano's Spain side lifted the FIFA World Futsal Championship trophy for the second consecutive time in Chinese Taipei. During that time, both the Spanish team and the hosts of the 2008 championships, Brazil, have started preparations for Futsal's most prestigious international event in two year's time.

Great memories
There is nothing in Futsal that Spain's Andreu has not already won but 5 December 2004 will always hold particularly fond memories for the 31-year-old. On this day Spain successfully defended their world crown, beating Italy 2-1 in the final at the National Taiwan University.

"Being crowned World Champions in China was the best thing that has happened to me in my sporting career. Even though we were defending champions, we didn't go into the tournament as favourites," Andreu recalled. "I think many people expected us to get knocked out at the semi-final stage. But with hard work and the positive attitude that Javier Lozano instilled in us, we showed that we could do it."

Two days earlier, the Spaniards had been involved in a pulsating semi-final against Brazil that ended 2-2 and was eventually settled by a nerve-shredding penalty shoot-out.

"Looking back, it was an incredible feat considering the side that Brazil fielded," Andreu continued. "They are a side with amazing individual skills but we believed our own strength as a unit would see us through. It was a very intense game. We sensed that Brazil wanted to hear the whistle and decide it on penalties - it's a lottery but we did it.

"Beating Brazil in the semi-final of a World Championship, for me, is as good as winning the final. I can remember returning to the hotel and the atmosphere on the coach was as if we had already won the trophy! We were on such a high - it gave us confidence and morale and subconsciously, we knew that the trophy would not slip from our grasp."

"I was caught between feeling sad that we lost and happy for the Spanish team, who are my friends - my life is here and if I have to lose, I would prefer it to be to them," he said.

Back to the drawing board
Spain will defend their crown for a second time in Brazil in 2008. Even at this early stage, the tournament is a key issue on both countries' agendas. Andreu explained: "Even now the process of re-building the side is underway. New players have started to come in because some of the older ones won't be available in 2008. I have always said that players reach their peak at 30 or 31 and we won the last World Championship with players around that age. I think that with a decent base of veteran players, helping the younger, emerging players, we should be able to take a strong team to Brazil."

Brazil too are making changes according to Schumacher. "A lot has changed within the Brazilian team. I am very positive about the future - now, only the best players are picked and that wasn't always the case in the past. We have been working hard on certain aspects of our game - we have to improve tactically to reach the same level as Spain, who in that area, are the best in the world at the moment.

"The situation worldwide has completely changed. There is no better example in the way Spain has progressed - several years ago, players would also have a part-time job but now they are able to make a living out of the game. I think in the next two years we are going to see the game advance even more so both Brazil and Spain have to work harder to keep up."

Andreu agrees, "It is going to be much harder next time around," he says, "Javier Lozano is someone who strives for success so I am sure that getting selected for the national team will become tougher. Our rivals are getting stronger and each time they are more determined to win. We know that we are going to have to play to a higher level than before."

Individual flair
Crossing continents has been an advantage for Schumacher and team mate, 25-year-old Gabriel, who represents the new generation as both Brazilians explain. "Coming to Spain has helped me improve my game in term of tactics," Schumacher argues. "In Brazil, the pitches are smaller and the game is more about individual flair whereas here, you have to think a lot more." "In Spain, Portugal, Italy and Russia - the game is taken more seriously - it is much more organized," adds Gabriel.

But what makes Brazilian players so captivating to watch for the rest of the world? "Brazilian players are defined by their individual quality," explains Schumacher. "They are very different from your average European player, who will be more developed in the tactical side of the game. Take Ronaldo or Ronaldinho for instance; who do things with the ball that are completely different from everyone else and in two or three moves can win a game - in Futsal, it's exactly the same."



Posted by Luca Ranocchiari --> luca.ranocchiari@futsalplanet.com